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Saturday, March 28, 2015

As usual, this
year too we headed to the hills for our short winter vacations. However, unlike other years when we visited
lesser known destinations, as the work regarding construction of my small
apartment was in progress and I was required to deliver some goods for the said
construction, we all headed for the destination and arrived at Chilyanaula,
Ranikhet KMVN to spend a few nights. After
having visited the construction site and delivered the goods, we spent the day
there having a picnic with food being cooked on temporary makeshift chulah and with
local condiments, which added a special flavour to the simple ‘dal &
chawal’ and we enjoyed a good day out.
However, we realized that we had nothing much to contribute to the
construction process and would end up having a look around at the same
destinations that we have visited many times in the past. Therefore, after returning back to the Rest
house in Chilyanaula, I spoke to the Manager in this regard and he checked the
website and suggested that I could move over to Mohan near Corbett, but the
difference in tariff would have to be paid by me, as the rooms were costlier at
Mohan. Hearing about the proximity with
Corbett, I jumped at the proposition and early next morning we were headed for
Mohan.

Sunrise at Chilyanaula

As we head out towards Corbett

Beyond Bhatrauchkahn - Himalayan view point

Beyond Bhatrauchkahn - Himalayan view point - close up of Nanda Devi range with Trishul

Mohan
is a nondescript little destination situated on the Ranikhet to Corbett State Highway
and it has a quaint and quite little Tourist Rest House run by KMVN. To give you a general idea about it’s
proximity with other destinations – Mohan is situated at a distance of 73 Kms. from
Ranikhet and the break up of distances are as follows – Ranikhet to
Bhatrauchkhan – 27 Kms. and Bhatraouchkhan to Mohan 46 Kms. – Mohan to Ramnagar
– 10 Kms. Being situated hardly at a few kilometers distance from Corbett
alongwith it’s jungle like ambience, is an added advantage for Mohan. Having arrived at Mohan, I contacted the
Manager seeking advice about visiting Corbett during the afternoon Safari. I was informed that as the booking was
required to done online, it was not possible to visit Corbett on arrival. I had no idea about the same and therefore
had no other option but to rake up my contacts, to at least visit Corbett
during the ensuing day. The idea worked
and the contact sent a person who collected our personal details alongwith
photocopy of my official Identity card and he also informed me that my entry
was subject to any cancellation made. My
program was in much more jeopardy, as during the previous few days, it had been
raining ‘cats & dogs’ in the region and the jungle safari had been
temporarily halted, which had created additional queue. Hoping for the best and mentally preparing
for the worst, we decided not to waste the day idling and went ahead to visit
the famed ‘Girija Devi temple’ nearby.

Bracket fungi on a Banyan Tree - just as we enter Corbett

The TRH at Mohan

Panoramic view of Garijya temple

As the sun sets across the Kosi River bed

The
temple is dedicated to Girija Ardhangini and is myth-logically identified as being
the daughter of the Himalayan mastiff known by the same name. The temple is situated on a steep mound
right in the middle of the Kosi river and during the lean periods the river
bifurcates and creates an island around the temple, with the river flowing on
either side of it. However, during the
monsoons the island also disappears at times, thereby making visit to this
temple very difficult. To ensure safe
passage, the Government has now constructed a sturdy concrete bridge across the
river to help the pilgrims visit the famed destination. The temple is very small and only about 10-15
persons can be accommodated atop it at a time.
The temple has a small 4.5 feet high statute of Goddess Girija Devi
accompanied by statues of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Saraswati placed alongside,
as the presiding deity is also identified as Parvati of famed Lord Shiva
Parvati combine. It has gained
tremendous following during recent years and consequently a small market has emerged
along the bank of the river, wherein people are engaged in selling worship/Puja
related articles alongwith a few sweetmeat shops sprinkled here &
there. The main pilgrimage to the temple
takes place during the Basant Panchami.
We visited the temple and after offering prayers, on our way back we got
down and headed onto the banks of KosiRiver and enjoyed the sunset
before returning back to the Rest House.

A kingfisher basking in morning sun inside Corbett

Langurs on tree tops inside Corbett

As
we were having a cup of Coffee in the cold winter evening at TRH Mohan, good
news filtered in that there had been a few cancellations because of the inclement
weather, however, the trip was subject to the weather conditions
improving. After we have had our dinner
and were getting ready to retire for the night early, as next day we were to be
picked up at 6.30 A.M for the trip scheduled from the Bijrani Gate entry, it
started pouring again. We tucked ourselves
in, a wee bit dejected by the prospect of getting bad news in the morning. Because of a hectic days schedule coupled
with the quiet ambience of the place, we drifted into the land of dreams and
were woken up in the morning after the loud sound of the alarm clock went
off. We quickly got dressed and as we
were making some final adjustments, the intercom rang informing us of the
arrival of the open safari jeep. It was
quite dark when we started and bitterly cold also as the jeep was totally open
from all sides. It took about 20-25
minutes ride to reach Bijrani Gate and after entering the premises, the
operator asked for the money as well as the Identity card for making necessary
entries. By stroke of luck and a chance
decision, I was inside Corbett for my first maiden journey to any Tiger
Reserve.

Cheetal deer (Male) inside Corbett

A Sambhar hiding in the grass

CorbettNational
Parkhas been mesmerizing its
visitors with its diverse plethora of wildlife and breathtaking landscapes. It
was established way back in 1936, when Corbett attained the distinction of being
thefirst national parkto be established inmainlandAsia. The geographical location of this National
Park that stretches between theHimalayasand
theterai region
and the sheer number of streams, rivers and ridges that crisscross its terrain,
enrich Corbett with a remarkable variety of landscapes. This vivid mosaic of
habitats – wet and dry, plain and mountainous, gentle and rugged, forests and
grasslands – supports numerous plant and animal species, representing Himalayan
as well as the species thriving in the plains.
The most famous of them is the tiger and over the years Corbett has
become synonymous with it. Perennial
rivers like the Ram Ganga and Kosi are the source of sustenance for the animals
inhabiting Corbett and apart from them there are many rain fed rivulets that
join these rivers during the rainy season as their tributaries.

A Wild boar inside Corbett

Topography inside Corbett

A herd of Cheetals feeding inside Corbett

From
the main gate the open jeep takes you to the interior passing by a raging
stream and I understood that the safari is to be stopped because during rains
these rivulets cannot be passed by vehicles because of the torrents, as there
are no bridges built across them. The
core area begins from an area deep inside, which is a fortified part with
electric fences covering the periphery and the jeeps etc. assemble here and
then start for the safari in batches.
There are a plethora of deer in the region of many varieties, sizes and
hues and easily found roaming around foraging alongwith other kinds of mammals
like Pigs, Monkeys etc. However, the
elusive tiger did not show up, although we could hear is low pitched growls
from time to time and despite sustained
efforts of guide and the driver, we could not spot one and returned back a wee
bit disappointed, but having had a blast otherwise, it was a trip to remember.